Pressure indicators

Claim 2

A pressure indicator for a container of gaseous fluid under pressure comprising A. a housing having i. an axial bore communicating with the interior of the container, ii. a shoulder projecting inwardly at an intermediate point in said bore; B. a valve poppet movably received in the housing bore and including i. a poppet head which is biased into engagement with said shoulder by the pressure of the fluid in the container, and ii. an integral axial stem projecting from said poppet head beyond said shoulder in a direction away from the container; C. yielding means carried on said poppet stem, one end of said yielding means engaging said poppet head; D. a hollow cap removably connectable to the end of said housing away from the container; E. means disposed within said cap for compressing said yielding means when said cap is connected to said housing to bias said poppet head away from said shoulder against the pressure of the fluid in the container biasing said poppet head toward said shoulder, said compressing means including a through-opening communicating with said bore and the interior of said cap; and F. an indicating element slidably disposed within the cap, said element being projectable from the free end of said cap by fluid released by said poppet under the action of said yielding means upon a predetermined pressure drop within the container, said indicating element including a skirt seal having side walls resiliently engaging the interior walls of said cap and defining a cupped surface facing toward the container against which the fluid released by said poppet acts to project said element from the free end of said cap.

Claim 3

An indicator as recited in claim 1 in which said shoulder projects inwardly and axially toward the container in said bore to provide a relatively sharp, small area contact with said poppet head.

Claim 4

An indicator as recited in claim 2 in which said shoulder has a half-toroidal configuration.

Claim 5

An indicator as recited in claim 1 in which said poppet head includes a resilient gasket integrally bonded to the surface thereof that engages said shoulder.

Claim 6

An indicator as recited in claim 1 in which said shoulder comprises a first shoulder in said bore, in which said housing includes a second shoulder projecting inwardly in said bore at a point further from the container than said first shoulder, and in which said indicator further includes an annular collar slidably carried on said poppet stem and engaging the other, opposite end of said yielding means, said annular collar being constrained from movement out of said housing by said second shoulder and being movable in said housing toward said container by said compressing means to compress said yielding means when said cap is connected to said housing.

Claim 7

An indicator as recited in claim 1 in which the free end of said cap defines an opening and in which said indicating element includes a rod occupying a first, retracted position concealed within said cap when said poppet seals the fluid within the container and a second, extended position projecting into view through said cap opening when said poppet releases fluid from said container in response to the pressure drop therein.

Claim 8

An indicator as recited in claim 6 in which the end of said rod projectible through said cap opening includes a resilient sealing head for sealing said cap opening from the influx of foreign materials therethrough when said rod is in its first, retracted position.

Claim 9

An indicator as recited in claim 1 in which the interior walls of said cap include a plurality of axial grooves through which air occupying said cap by-passes said skirt seal when said indicating element is reset into said cap toward the container.

Claim 10

An indicator as recited in claim 1 in which the container comprises a pneumatic tire containing, as the fluid, air under pressure and including a valve stem communicating with the interior of the tire and in which said housing connects to the valve stem.

Claim 11

An indicator as recited in claim 8 in which the valve stem includes a core pin which normally seals the air in the tire but which when depressed into the valve stem toward the container opens the valve stem to release air from the container and in which said housing include means disposed therein for depressing the core pin and releasing air into said housing bore.

Claim 12

An indicator as recited in claim 10 in which said core pin depressing means includes an axial through-bore and means for sealing said depressing means relative to said housing to constrain the passage of air through said axial through-bore when said housing is connected to the valve stem.

Claim 13

An indicator as recited in claim 1 in which said housing further includes a flange plate projecting laterally from the external surface of said housing to prevent said indicator from being drawn into the tire upon tire failure.

Claim 14

An indicator as recited in claim 1 in which the container comprises a pneumatic tire containing, as the fluid, air under pressure and supported on a wheel rim and in which said housing connects within the wheel rim and communicates directly with the interior of the tire.

Claim 15

An indicator as recited in claim 1 in which the external surface of said housing includes a peripheral groove and an annular resilient seal seated in said groove for sealing said cap relative to said housing.

Claim 16

A pressure indicator for a pneumatic tire or the like containing air under pressure comprising: A. an elongated cylindrical housing having i. an axial bore ii. one end connected so as to be carried by and communicate with the interior of the tire, iii. an annular shoulder projecting inwardly at an intermediate point in said bore and defining a relatively sharp, small area contact surface facing toward the interior of the tire; B. a valve poppet movably received in the housing bore and including i. a poppet head, ii. an annular, resilient gasket integrally bonded to said poppet head and biased with said poppet head into sealing engagement with said shoulder by the air pressure in the tire; C. spring means carried on said poppet stem, one end of said spring means engaging said poppet head; D. a cap including an axial bore and removably connectable to the free end of said housing; E. an annular member fixed within said cap bore for entering said housing bore, engaging the other end of said spring means and compressing said spring means toward said poppet head to bias said poppet head away from said shoulder against the air pressure in the tire biasing said poppet head toward said shoulder, said poppet head thereby releasing air into said cap bore when the pressure in the tire drops below that necessary to overcome the bias of said spring means; and F. an indicating element slidably disposed in said cap bore and including i. a resilient skirt seal including side walls resiliently engaging the interior walls of said cap and forming a cupped surface facing said housing, and ii. an integral rod projecting from said skirt seal away from said housing, said skirt seal being driven in said cap bore by the air released by said poppet head to project said rod into view out of said cap and thereby provide a visual indication of the pressure drop in the tire.

Claim 17

A pressure indicator for a pneumatic tire or the like containing air under pressure comprising: A. an elongated cylindrical housing having i. an axial bore ii. one end connected so as to be carried by and communicate with the interior of the tire, iii. an annular shoulder projecting inwardly at an intermediate point in said bore and defining a relatively sharp, small area contact surface facing toward the interior of the tire; B. a valve poppet movably received in the housing bore and including i. a poppet head, ii. an annular, resilient gasket integrally bonded to said poppet head and biased with said poppet head into sealing engagement with said shoulder by the air pressure in the tire; C. spring means carried on said poppet stem, one end of said spring means engaging said poppet head; D. a cap including an axial bore and removably connectable to the free end of said housing; E. an annular member fixed within said cap bore for entering said housing bore, engaging the other end of said spring means and compressing said spring means toward said poppet head to bias said poppet head away from said shoulder against the air pressure in the tire biasing said poppet head toward said shoulder, said poppet head thereby releasing air into said cap bore when the pressure in the tire drops below that necessary to overcome the bias of said spring means; and F. an indicating element slidably disposed in said cap bore and including i. a resilient skirt seal including side walls resiliently engaging the interior walls of said cap and forming a cupped surface facing said housing, and ii. an integral rod projecting from said skirt seal away from said housing, said skirt seal being driven in said cap bore by the air released by said poppet head to project said rod into view out of said cap and thereby provide a visual indication of the pressure drop in the tire.

Claim 18

A pressure indicator for a pneumatic tire or the like containing air under pressure comprising: A. an elongated cylindrical housing having i. an axial bore ii. one end connected so as to be carried by and communicate with the interior of the tire, iii. an annular shoulder projecting inwardly at an intermediate point in said bore and defining a relatively sharp, small area contact surface facing toward the interior of the tire; B. a valve poppet movably received in the housing bore and including i. a poppet head, ii. an annular, resilient gasket integrally bonded to said poppet head and biased with said poppet head into sealing engagement with said shoulder by the air pressure in the tire; C. spring means carried on said poppet stem, one end of said spring means engaging said poppet head; D. a cap including an axial bore and removably connectable to the free end of said housing; E. an annular member fixed within said cap bore for entering said housing bore, engaging the other end of said spring means and compressing said spring means toward said poppet head to bias said poppet head away from said shoulder against the air pressure in the tire biasing said poppet head toward said shoulder, said poppet head thereby releasing air into said cap bore when the pressure in the tire drops below that necessary to overcome the bias of said spring means; and F. an indicating element slidably disposed in said cap bore, said element being projectable by the air released by said poppet head to project said element out of said cap.

Claim 19

A pressure indicator for a pneumatic tire or the like containing air under pressure comprising: A. an elongated cylindrical housing having i. an axial bore ii. one end connected so as to be carried by and communicate with the interior of the tire, iii. an annular shoulder projecting inwardly at an intermediate point in said bore and defining a relatively sharp, small area contact surface facing toward the interior of the tire; B. a valve poppet movably received in the housing bore and including i. a poppet head, ii. an annular, resilient gasket integrally bonded to said poppet head and biased with said poppet head into sealing engagement with said shoulder by the air pressure in the tire; C. spring means carried on said poppet stem, one end of said spring means engaging said poppet head; D. a cap including an axial bore and removably connectable to the free end of said housing; E. an annular member fixed within said cap bore for entering said housing bore, engaging the other end of said spring means and compressing said spring means toward said poppet head to bias said poppet head away from said shoulder against the air pressure in the tire biasing said poppet head toward said shoulder, said poppet head thereby releasing air into said cap bore when the pressure in the tire drops below that necessary to overcome the bias of said spring means; and F. an indicating element slidably disposed in said cap bore, said element being projectable by the air released by said poppet head to project said element out of said cap.

Claim 20

A pressure indicator for a container of gaseous fluid under pressure comprising A. a housing having i. an axial bore communicating with the interior of the container, ii. a first shoulder projecting inwardly at an intermediate point in said bore, and iii. a second shoulder projecting inwardly in said bore at a point further from the container than said first shoulder; B. a valve poppet movably received in the housing bore and including i. a poppet head which is biased into engagement with said shoulder by the pressure of the fluid in the container, and ii. an integral axial stem projecting from said poppet head beyond said shoulder in a direction away from the container; C. yielding means carried on said poppet stem, one end of said yielding means engaging said poppet head; D. a hollow cap removably connectable to the end of said housing away from the container; E. means disposed within said cap for compressing said yielding means when said cap is connected to said housing to bias said poppet head away from said shoulder against the pressure of the fluid in the container biasing said poppet head toward said shoulder, said compressing means including a through-opening communicating with said bore and the interior of said cap; F. an indicating element slidably disposed within the cap, said element being projectable from the free end of said cap by fluid released by said poppet under the action of said yielding means upon a predetermined pressure drop within the container; and G. an annular collar slidably carried on said poppet stem and engaging the other, opposite end of said yielding means, said annular collar being constrained from movement out of said housing by said second shoulder and being movable in said housing toward said container by said compressing means to compress said yielding means when said cap is connected to said housing.

Claim 21

A pressure indicator for a container of gaseous fluid under pressure comprising A. a housing having i. an axial bore communicating with the interior of the container, ii. a first shoulder projecting inwardly at an intermediate point in said bore, and iii. a second shoulder projecting inwardly in said bore at a point further from the container than said first shoulder; B. a valve poppet movably received in the housing bore and including i. a poppet head which is biased into engagement with said shoulder by the pressure of the fluid in the container, and ii. an integral axial stem projecting from said poppet head beyond said shoulder in a direction away from the container; C. yielding means carried on said poppet stem, one end of said yielding means engaging said poppet head; D. a hollow cap removably connectable to the end of said housing away from the container; E. means disposed within said cap for compressing said yielding means when said cap is connected to said housing to bias said poppet head away from said shoulder against the pressure of the fluid in the container biasing said poppet head toward said shoulder, said compressing means including a through-opening communicating with said bore and the interior of said cap; F. an indicating element slidably disposed within the cap, said element being projectable from the free end of said cap by fluid released by said poppet under the action of said yielding means upon a predetermined pressure drop within the container; and G. an annular collar slidably carried on said poppet stem and engaging the other, opposite end of said yielding means, said annular collar being constrained from movement out of said housing by said second shoulder and being movable in said housing toward said container by said compressing means to compress said yielding means when said cap is connected to said housing.

Claim 22

An indicator as recited in claim 7 in which said indicating element includes a resilient skirt seal including side walls resiliently engaging the interior walls of said cap and defining a cupped surface facing toward the container against which the fluid released by said poppet acts to project said element from the free end of said cap.